Contact
Diana Hammar Perry, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Analyst
Department of Aquatic Resources, SLU
diana.perry@slu.se, +46(0)10-478 40 97
Seas in a changing climate - can coastal fish cope?
Last changed: 17 April 2023
Cod is a keystone species in marine ecosystems. It shapes the conditions for a large number of other species in the sea and is also of great importance both economically and culturally. However, the Swedish Atlantic cod stocks are on the verge of collapse with serious population declines observed in the Baltic Sea and on the Swedish west coast. Will the already weakened cod stocks meet another challenge; climate change? And how will climate change affect other coastal fish species?
Research based on the latest climate models shows that the temperature will rise and lead to local heat waves. Ocean acidification will increase, and salinity may be reduce. Together, these climate effects will dramatically alter the marine environment around Sweden.
Climate effects cause physiological stress
Each of these changes can cause physiological stress in marine organisms. In order to better understand the anticipated fate of cod in a changing climate, this project aims to investigate how Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris) from coastal populations in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea respond to the cumulative effects of climate change factors such as reduced salinity (freshening), reduced pH (ocean acidification) and increased temperature (warming events).
The project is based on experimental studies where coastal fisheries-targeted fish, are kept in aquariums that simulate the various changes. The sensitivity of the fish is measured by physiological variables
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The experiment room at Kristineberg research center in Fiskebäckskil. The experiment is a four week exposure period under which the fish is exposed to different global climate change factors. Photo: Diana Hammar Perry
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The physiological stress response from fish will be evaluated using respirometry and oxidative stress analyses. The picture shows the respirometer set-up of 2020. DNA samples were collected to determine the cod populations. Photo: Diana Hammar Perry
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Cod in respirometer tank. The project studies juvenile cod from the west coast. In the autumn of 2020, experiments were carried out on cod from the west coast and in 2022, the experiments was repeated with Goldsinny wrasse. Photo: Diana Hammar Perry.
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Goldsinny wrasse (Ctebolabrus rupestris).Photo: Diana Hammar Perry
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The Goldsinny wrasse experimental setup at Kristineberg Center in 2022. Photo: Diana Hammar Perry.
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Knowledge for climate-adapted management
The project results will provide detailed knowledge of the sensitivity of different populations of Atlantic cod and an indication of how they might respond to future climate change. This knowledge may, together with spatial projections of climate change effects, be a crucial means of climate readying the management strategies for cod in the future to ensure that the environment, anglers and the fishing industry can all continue to enjoy the fish for generations to come.
Team
The research team consists of Diana Hammar Perry (SLU Aqua), Håkan Wennhage (SLU Aqua), Filip Svensson (SLU Aqua), Martin Gullström (Södertörn University), Albin Gräns (SLU) and Michael Axelsson (University of Gothenburg)
Financing
The project "Sensitivity of Swedish cod populations to global climate change stressors " is funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and is ongoing 2020-2024.